Memories of Philippine Kitchens

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Yesterday, I attended the best cookbook event ever. Book signings are now more a professional obligation than a fun diversion, but I’m very glad I stopped in at the Bayanihan Community Center to see Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan. This wasn’t your usual book event. Grandparents brought their grandkids, and Tagalog was spoken unabashedly. The tastings were generous—I enjoyed thirds on those adobo ribs—and there was much laughter in the air. Their discussion and demonstration were a powerful reminder of the way sharing recipes, memories, and food keep a community together over time and distance.

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The Art of Cookbooks

Cookbooks offer a special challenge for information design, as their pages must suceed at both seduction and instruction, luring and reassuring their readers. Bookstore shelves may bend from the weight of gorgeous, glossy tomes, yet home cooks are still increasingly kitchen-phobic. How do writers, artists and designers work together to produce pretty pages with error-proof recipes? Continue reading “The Art of Cookbooks”

Alternative Press Expo 2006

The APE returned to San Francisco last week. With hundreds of artists, writers and publishers of alternative, self-published, hand-made comics showing their latest work, I knew my one-day pass (even with its snazzy ball chain) wouldn’t give me enough time. Fortunately, I had a singular mission: Find the food. Continue reading “Alternative Press Expo 2006”